How to add a photo widget to the main screen of Xiaomi: all ways

Photo widgets on Xiaomi smartphones are not just a decoration of the main screen, but a full-fledged tool for quick access to your favorite pictures. They can instantly view the latest photos, manage a gallery without running an app, or even set up automatic background updates depending on the time of day. MIUI HyperOS is not always obvious in the setup, and some models (e.g. Redmi Note 12 or the Redmi Note 12) are not always obvious in the setup. POCO X5) Hide this feature in unexpected menus.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to add a photo widget to Xiaomi, including workarounds for devices where the feature is disabled by default. You’ll learn how to customize the display of albums, resize the widget, and even create a dynamic widget with an automatic slideshow. And if your model does not support standard solutions, we’ll show alternatives through third-party apps.

We will pay special attention to compatibility issues: why on some smartphones the photo widget is not in the list of available, how to fix it and what restrictions HyperOS imposes compared to the other smartphones. MIUI 14.All instructions are tested on current firmware 2026 and adapted for different versions of the shells.

1. Standard photo widget in MIUI/HyperOS: Where to look and how to add

On most Xiaomi smartphones (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T, Redmi Note 11 Pro+ or POCO F5) The photo widget is built into the system gallery, but it's different from the weather widget or calendar widget:

Step 1. Unlock the screen and hold the empty space on the home screen with your finger. At the bottom, a panel with options will appear – select “Widgets” (the icon with squares).

Step 2. Scroll down to Gallery (or Photos, depending on the shell version) and you'll see a few options here:

• 📷 Photos Widget – Shows One Random Photo from a Gallery.
• 🖼️ The widget "Albums" - displays miniatures of the latest albums.
• 🎞️ Slideshow widget (not available on all models) – automatically changes photos at a given interval.

Step 3: Drag the widget you select to the free seat on the home screen, and if the widget is not active (gray), it's disabled by the manufacturer on your model, and then move on to alternatives.

Update the gallery to the latest version on Google Play

Check that the photos are saved in the folder DCIM download

Free up space on the main screen (widget takes up) 2×2 or 4×2 cell)

Restart your smartphone if the widget doesn’t appear in the list-->

⚠️ Note: On HyperOS devices (e.g. Xiaomi 14 or Redmi) K70) The photo widget can be called Moments or Memories. If it's not on the list, try updating the system gallery through Settings. → Annexes → Application management → gallery → Update.

2.Widget customization: size, albums and refresh rate

Once you add a widget, you can customize it, so you can tap the widget and hold your finger, and you can see the settings menu.

Widget size: Most photo widgets support two formats:

• 📱 2×2 — compact view (one photo).
• 📺 4×2 — Extended view (several photos or slideshows).

To change the size, press the widget. → «Change the size and select the appropriate option.

Album selection: The default widget shows photos from the Camera or Screenshots folder to change the source:

1. Press the widget. → Icon of the gear ("Settings»).
2. Select "Photo Source» → specify the desired album (for example, WhatsApp Images or Telegram).
3. Activate the “Favorites Only” option if you want to display only tagged pictures.

Automatic update. The widget can update photos:

• 🔄 Every hour;
• 🌅 Once a day (morning or evening);
• 📅 Manual (by tap on widget).

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If the widget has stopped updating, check the permissions for the Gallery app in Settings → Annexes → Permits → The storage, without access to the files, the widget won't work.

3.Why there is no photo widget: reasons and solutions

If there is no Gallery or Photo section in the list of widgets, the problem may be due to one of the following reasons:

1. An outdated version MIUI/HyperOS. On firmware older MIUI 12 The photo widget is often missing:

• 📲 Update the system through Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🔄 If there are no updates, try resetting the gallery settings (Settings) → Annexes → gallery → Warehouse → Clear the data).

2. Regional restrictions. Some models for markets in Europe or India have the photo widget disabled. 10A (It's not in India, but it's on global firmware:

• 🌍 Install global firmware via Fastboot (requires unlocking the bootloader).
• 📱 Use an alternative gallery (see the next section).

3. Conflict with the subject of design. Some topics from the topic → Online widgets can be blocked. Solution:

• 🎨 Return the standard theme (Settings) → Display. → Theme → By default).
• 🔄 Reset the device.

⚠️ Note: On devices with MediaTek processor (e.g. Redmi) 9A or POCO M4 Pro) the photo widget sometimes disappears after updating, in which case it will help to reset the gallery cache or reinstall the application through the ADB:

adb shell pm clear com.miui.gallery

4. Alternative methods: third-party widgets and applications

If the standard widget is not available, use third-party solutions. We tested the 5 best apps for Xiaomi that support photo widgets:

1. Google Photo.

• 📲 Install the app from Google Play.
• 🔧 Add the Google Photos widget to the home screen (sizes) 2×2, 4×1, 4×4).
• ⚡ Advantages: Automatic update, integration with Google Drive, support for Memories».

2. Simple Gallery Pro

• 📷 Open source and advertising-free application.
• 🖼️ Widget supports manual folder selection and slideshow.
• 🔒 Cons: Requires storage and camera permits.

3. Photo Widget: Simple

• 🎨 Minimalist widget with transparency and framework setting.
• 🔄 Updates photos on tapu or on schedule.
• 💰 Free version with a 1 widget limit.

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The side widgets may consume an extra battery due to background synchronization. Turn off automatic updates if you notice a quick discharge.

5. Creating a dynamic widget with an automatic slideshow

If you want the widget to automatically change photos (e.g. every 10 minutes), use the Slideshow Widget app or set up Google Photos:

Method 1: Through Google Photos

Method 2: Slideshow Widget App

1. Install Slideshow Widget.
2. Select the folder with photos in the application settings.
3. Specify the interval of the shift (from 1 minute to 24 hours).
4. Add the widget to the screen and select the display style.

⚠️ Attention: Dynamic widgets increase battery consumption by 5-15% (based on tests on Xiaomi 12 Pro).If you notice overheating, reduce the frequency of changing photos or turn off the widget for sleep (Settings for sleep). → Battery → Sleep regimen).

Problems and Errors: The widget is not working or updated

Discussed problems and ways to solve them:

Problem 1: The widget shows a black screen

• 🔌 Check the permissions for the gallery (Settings) → Annexes → gallery → Permits).
• 📂 Make sure that the selected folder has photos (the widget does not display empty albums).
• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone.

Problem 2: The widget is not updated

• 🕒 Check the update settings (maybe it costs manual mode).
• 📵 Turn off the power saving mode for the gallery (Settings) → Battery → Choice of applications).
• 📥 Update the gallery through Google Play.

Problem 3: Widget disappeared after system update

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If the widget slows down when scrolling photos, turn off animations in the developer settings (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 5 taps. → Developer settings → Animation. = Off.).

7. Photo widget on the lock screen: is it possible?

On Xiaomi devices with MIUI 14+ And the HyperOS photo widget can't be added to the lock screen, which is locked at the system level:

Method 1: Use wallpaper with automatic change

1. Open the "Wallpaper" on the main screen.
2. Select "Dynamic Wallpaper» → «gallery».
3. Specify the folder with photos and the shift interval (from 1 hour to 1 day).

⚠️ Wallpaper will only change on the main screen, not on the lock.

Method 2: Always on Display application AMOLED-screen)

Method 3: Widget on secondary lockscreen (HyperOS only)

HyperOS has an experimental "Secondary Lock Screen" feature that allows you to add widgets to a separate swipe-left screen to activate:

Settings → Display → Lock screen → Secondary screen → Enable

After that, you can add a photo widget to this screen.

FAQ: Frequent questions about photo widgets on Xiaomi